MALIA JOHNSTON Choreographer & Performance Director Growing up in the South Island, my parents were ‘country service’ teachers so we moved around a lot. We lived everywhere, from Hinds to Clandeboye and Otira, all of which were a long way from any action. Then we moved to Christchurch when I turned fourteen which is where I … More MALIA JOHNSTON
SOPHIE ROBERTS Artistic Director – Silo Theatre I grew up in Auckland on the North Shore, but went to a steiner school in Ellerslie. I always enjoyed drama at school, but definitely wasn’t a kid who always wanted to be an actor. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I finished high school … More SOPHIE ROBERTS
LIVI REIHANA Comedian / One half of the musical comedy duo – The Fan Brigade I grew up in Mangawhai where I lived until age five, then we moved to a little town called Te Kauwhata in the Waikato which is about fifteen minutes north of Huntly. It sounds really dodgy, but we basically packed … More LIVI REIHANA
What would you do if you weren’t afraid to fail? is a bold question that Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker Sarah Moshman put into our minds with her striking documentary The Empowerment Project, as she travelled across America for one month, highlighting and interviewing ordinary women doing extraordinary things. Then came the empowering statement Everyone has … More NEVERTHELESS: An Interview With Director Sarah Moshman
RYAN EDWARDS Singer/Songwriter I was born in Hastings in the Hawke’s Bay, the most ideal place for a young sports-mad kid to grow up in. We had a quarter-acre section with tons of fruit trees in our backyard, each of those making great cricket stumps. Then my dad got transferred to Wellington and my parents … More RYAN EDWARDS
MEL PARSONS Musician I grew up down south in a little place called Cape Foulwind, just outside of Westport. My parents are definitely not musical but there was always music around. I still can’t describe the feeling, but I remember from a very young age that playing and listening to music always made me feel … More MEL PARSONS
SOPHIE HAMBLETON Actress I was born and raised in Wellington. My Dad is an actor who worked solidly in theatre as I was growing up and my Mum taught acting, clowning and ran performing arts schools. While my parents always encouraged me to have a big imagination, there was never any pressure to become an … More SOPHIE HAMBLETON
